It was a chilly, gray October morning. No sun was shining over Ponyville that day, and it cast a dull gloom over a small gathering of ponies at the local cemetery. It was there that not one, but two caskets were about to be buried, laying their occupants to rest. One of these ponies was a white Earth Pony stallion, with a light green mane and a cutie mark of a calculator. The other was a light blue Earth Pony mare, with a white and silver mane, and three blue flowers adorning her flanks. Their names were Tax Break and Flores, and although they weren't particularly well-known in their small community, they meant everything to a certain orange pegasus filly.
Scootaloo was seated at the very front of the gathering, her two best friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, seated right beside her, offering words of sympathy and comfort. But she couldn't seem to focus on what her friends were saying. So many things were going through her mind right then. What would happen to her now? Where will she go? Where will she stay? Could she stay in Ponyville? Would she evr see her friends again?
The thought of never seeing her friends again was enough to make her cry some more, her eyes already red and puffy from crying over the last couple of days without her parents. Luckily, the Apples were kind enough to take her in these last few days, but she knew it was only temporary. She would need a more permanent residence soon.
As the ceremony continued, Scootaloo could only think to herself 'How could this have happened?' Not more than three days ago, her life had been just fine. It had been a day like any other, just the normal routine. Nopony could have expected anything to go so wrong. But sometimes, the hardest things in life come at you when you least expect it.
-Flashback: two days earlier-
Scootaloo sat in her class at school, chatting with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Cheerilee had finished the lesson a bit earlier than expected, and now the students were just killing time until lunch.
"- so after the movie, he walked me back home, and that was that," Sweetie Belle said, just getting done telling her friends about her date with Button Mash the night before.
"Sounds ta' me like y'all had a real good time," Apple Bloom commented.
"Sounded really sappy to me," Scootaloo quipped. Sweetie Belle gave her an annoyed look and said "You may say that about me and Button, but I know for a fact that you have a real thing for Rumble." Scootaloo's face went red at the mention of her crush's name. She turned her head to see where he was sitting across the room, and happened to be talking to Button Mash, of all ponies. Scootaloo turned back to her unicorn counterpart to defend herself against the previous comment, when suddenly, the classroom door burst open, and two ponies barged in. It was Twilight and Applejack.
"Princess Twilight, Applejack, what can I do for you?" Cheerilee asked.
"Cheerilee, a building collapsed in town! There are already several ponies in the hospital!" Twilight told her.
"What?"
"Yeah, it was that old building across from Sugar Cube Corner," Applejack informed her. At this, Scootaloo's head shot toward Twilight and Applejack.
"Y-You mean th-the accounting firm where my dad works?" she squeaked out, a lump now forming in her throat. Twilight and Applejack exchanged glances and then looked back to Scootaloo with looks of dread in their faces. Scootaloo panicked and jumped from her seat.
"Scootaloo, wait-" Cheerilee started, but couldn't finish, as Scootaloo was already out the door with Applejack and Twilight following close behind.
-At the hospital-
Scootaloo had burst through the doors of the busy hospital screaming "Where's my dad? Where's my dad?" She was immediately greeted by Nurse Redheart, who sat her down and tried to calm her down as Twilight and Applejack walked in.
"Scootaloo," Nurse Redheart spoke softly,"I'm sorry to tell you this, but both of your parents were involved in the accident." If Scootaloo was worried before, she was practically in hysterics now. Nurse Redheart sighed, trying to work up the nerve to tell Scootaloo what had happened.
"Apparently, your mother and father met up for lunch today, and were standing right outside the building when it collapsed. Both were hit with debris," Nurse Redheart said, now starting to choke up. "Your father-" she gulped "-was killed instantly. And your mother is in critical care. She may not make it either."
That was it. Scootaloo felt her heart break, and she broke down right there. She couldn't stop herself from bawling. Her father was gone, and her mother may soon join him. It was just too much for her. Twilight and Applejack picked her up off the floor and tried to comfort her, tried to calm her down.
"There, there, sugarcube," Applejack cooed softly,"It'll be all right." Despite the reassuring words that left Applejack's lips, even she couldn't be sure of what she was saying. All she wanted to do was be there for Scootaloo.
After what felt like an eternity, although had really been five hours, Nurse Redheart came back out to where Scootaloo was, now joined by Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Spike, and the rest of the Mane 6.
"Scootaloo," she choked out,"I'm afraid I have some bad news."
-End flashback-
As the funeral wound down, Scootaloo brought herself back to the present. When the ceremony ended, everypony came up to Scootaloo to offer sympathy, maybe hug her, and offer words of support. Her two best friends stayed by her side the whole time. One by one, everypony offered their sympathy, but with everypony so sullen and glum, it was hard to find comfort in their words. Even the normally happy, energetic Pinkie Pie shared the same gloomy mood as the others. She was quiet, and slowly walked instead of bouncing around, and her curly, bouncy mane and tail were now straight and lifeless.
The last pony to come up to her was Rainbow Dash. All day, Scootaloo had tried to avoid thinking about her. Rainbow Dash was her idol. Her everything. She was the one who helped her through her fear of those scary stories when they were camping. She was the one who helped her overcome her lack of confidence and encouraged her to represent Ponyville in the Equestria Games. It was Rainbow Dash who was there for her when she could finally fly, Rainbow Dash was even for the proudest moment of her life; the day Scootaloo finally got her cutie mark. Dash was there for it all. And now, Scootaloo might never see her idol and sister figure ever again. She certainly didn't want Rainbow dash to remember her like this- sobbing, wallowing in self-pity, scared and alone. She looked up at the rainbow mare, expecting to hear words telling her to toughen up.
But that's not what she got. No, instead Rainbow Dash only offered a warm half-smile, too choked up to say anything. She then wrapped Scootaloo in a hug, and Scootaloo could feel tears coming up again.
"Thank you," Scootaloo said, barely above a whisper.
"For what, kid?" Rainbow Dash choked out.
"Everything," Scootaloo told her,"You've always been there for me, Rainbow Dash. I loved my parents, but I was never that close with them. We never shared any of the same interests. I mean, we weren't even the same types! That's why it took me so long to fly. They couldn't teach me, and it's not like we lived in Cloudsdale, where everypony learns from a young age. But you were always there for me Rainbow Dash. Always."
Now Rainbow Dash was feeling like crying. She needed to say something to Scootaloo. There was something she had to tell her. Something she had meant to tell her. But what? She couldn't remember. Scootaloo's words scrambled her brain. She wasn't expecting a heart-felt thank you from the filly, and it threw her through a loop. She tried to say something, anything, but the lump in her throat had her too choked up.
"Well, if this is our last goodbye, then thanks again Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said once more in a low, quiet voice,"You've meant so much to me." And she began to walk away.
"Wait-" Rainbow started, but it was no use. Her voice cracked, and it only came out as a whisper. Scootaloo was too far away to hear.
Rainbow Dash stood there like a statue, dumbstruck. Only now did the actual weight of the situation hit her. Her mind was doing backflips, trying to recover her thoughts. Only then did a soft, timid voice bring her back to reality.
"Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow Dash jumped a little, and turned to the source of the quiet voice. It was her oldest, dearest friend Fluttershy.
"Fluttershy? How long have I been standing here like this?" she asked. It had felt like hours.
"Oh, about five minutes," Fluttershy responded. Dash mentally facehoofed.
"What do I do now, Fluttershy? I can't lose her, I just can't," Rainbow Dash said. Fluttershy thought for a moment.
"I think you know what to do. You have to talk to her. You have to tell her the truth," Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash cringed. The truth? It was a conversation Dash had always feared, but knew it had to be done eventually. Only Rainbow Dash's oldest friend Fluttershy knew the truth. The truth about her past. It was something Rainbow Dash never wanted to face. But now, she had no choice. It was a situation she was thrust into, but if she wanted to keep Scootaloo, it had to be done.
"You're right, Fluttershy. I have to tell her, it's now or never," Rainbow Dash said with a new-found confidence.
"I'm glad to hear that, Rainbow. Scootaloo's on her way back to Sweet Apple Acres now. You might be able to catch her," Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash smiled wide, and flew off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
Scootaloo and the Apple family were making their way back to the farm, and were a little more than halfway there when they heard a voice call out from the sky.
"Hey squirt, wait up!" Scootaloo turned and looked up. It was Rainbow Dash!
"Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked excitedly. Rainbow Dash shuffled nervously. 'Now or never' she told herself.
"Look Scoots, I'm really sorry I didn't have much to say back there. I was still a little shocked from this was all. Honestly, I do have something to say. A lot actually," Rainbow Dash said to her. Scootaloo was a little taken aback, and now very confused.
"Huh? Rainbow, what are you-" but she couldn't finish.
"Look, I just really need to talk to you. It's something you need to know Scootaloo, and it's something I really have to get off my chest," Rainbow Dash admitted. "How about we go back to my place? It'd be easier for us to talk there." Scootaloo grinned at Rainbow Dash's offer.
"Totally! That'd be awesome!" Scootaloo shouted.
"Would that be okay with you, Applejack?" Rainbow Dash inquired, since , after all, it had been Applejack who had been taking care of Scootaloo the last few days.
Although Applejack didn't know what this was all about, she could sense it was urgent. After all, Rainbow Dash wasn't the type to just show up out of nowhere with a dire need to speak to somepony.
"Well, I reckon that'd be all right me. Sounds ta' me like y'all got a lot ta' talk about," Applejack said.
With that, the two pegasi took to the air, flying side-by-side towards Rainbow Dash's cloud house. Despite all there was to talk about, the trip they made was a silent one. Both had too much on their minds to try to hold a conversation. For Rainbow Dash, she was trying to sort out what she was going to say to Scootaloo. How would Scootaloo react? What would happen then? Would she be happy or angry or sad? Rainbow Dash just didn't have the answers to these questions. She was starting to wonder if this had been a good idea after all. But she quickly shook that though from her head. This had to be done, and there was no turning back now.
Scootaloo on the other hoof, was just playing flashbacks in her mind. Some of these were about her and her parents. She thought back to some of her best memories of them. Sure they didn't have a lot in common, but they had always loved her and always supported her. Her thoughts soon drifted back to Rainbow Dash, and all she had done for her. She thought back to when she could first fly a few years ago. It had happened so unexpectedly. After all her failed attempts, all the time spent practicing, yet only managing to get a few feet off the ground, one day, it just finally happened. One day she was flightless, the next day she wasn't. She certainly couldn't explain why that was, but she honestly didn't care. She could fly! And the first thing she did was fly up to Rainbow Dash's to surprise her.
She certainly was surprised, and so, so happy for Scootaloo. They had spent that whole day together flying and talking about whatever. Rainbow Dash had been surprised at how fast a learner Scootaloo was. She picked up on some of Rainbow Dash's even more advanced tricks with relative ease. She even began working out some tricks of her own.
This memory brought a smile to Scootaloo's lips. It had been one of the best days of her life, second only to a day that came two weeks later. The day she had gotten her cutie mark. Scootaloo had been competing in the annual Junior Scooter Derby. It was a competition for young scooter enthusiasts to show their skills, consisting of a tricks and freestyle portion, and then a cross country scooter race. For the freestyle show, Scootaloo used her new found ability of flight to her advantage. She was able to integrate her flying with riding her scooter, and pulled off tricks nopony had ever seen. She had gotten the gold in the freestyle trick show and in the race. After winning the race, the first pony to greet her and congratulate her was Rainbow Dash. After picking Scootaloo up in a hug and telling her how proud she was of her for the twentieth time, Rainbow Dash pointed to Scootaloo's flank telling her to look and see what's there. When Scootaloo turned her head to look, there it was: a winged wheel with an orange and purple lightning bolt streaked across it.
Scootaloo had been so caught up with her trip down memory lane, she didn't realize she and Rainbow Dash had already arrived at Dash's house.
"Well, here we are," Rainbow Dash said, snapping Scootaloo out of her trance-like state.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, right," Scootaloo said, her mind now back to the present. She followed Rainbow Dash inside, and they sat in her living room across from each other on separate cloud couches. Rainbow Dash twiddled her hooves nervously, trying to decide what to say. She decided it would be best to at least find a common ground with her. And she knew exactly what that common ground was.
"I'm really, really sorry about your folks, Scootaloo. You know, I don't know if I ever told you this, but my parents died when I was really young, too. Younger than you even," Rainbow told her. Scootaloo was surprised to learn this. Rainbow Dash's parents were gone, too?
"I'm really sorry to hear that Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said quietly. "When did this happen?"
"Oh, it's been about eleven years now," Rainbow Dash sighed sadly. Scootaloo thought. Eleven years. She was probably a little more than a year old when it happened. And what did happen? Scootaloo didn't know whether or not it was okay to ask, but, as if Rainbow Dash could read her mind, she didn't have to.
"I'll tell you the story, if you want," she said. Scootaloo only nodded.
"Well..." Rainbow Dash started,"At the time, my parents were weather ponies like me. They were both great flyers-also like me. In fact, they had both even tried to get into the Wonderbolts."
"Really? Your parents were Wonderbolts?" Scootaloo asked excitedly.
"Well...no," Rainbow Dash said,"They had tried to get in. You see, my dad, he was one of the fastest flyers in Cloudsdale. He would always race other local pegasi through the city, zipping through the streets of Cloudsdale like lightning, and would win every time!"
"But I thought racing on the streets was illegal in Cloudsdale?" Scootaloo piped up.
"Yeah...that's kind of why he was turned away from the Wonderbolts. They didn't want somepony with an, umm, 'extensive record', ya' know? But, if he hadn't tried out, he would've never met my mom. She had also been auditioning at an open try-out they had been holding. My mom was actually more into the stunts than the speed. She would do all kinds of cool tricks, and from what it sounds like, she had really caught my dad's eye," Rainbow explained with a chuckle. "She had 'grace' and 'finesse', as my dad put it. Even though my mom was really impressive, she still missed the cut, just by a little. But she was told that if a spot on their roster did open up, it was hers."
"Did a spot ever open up?" Scootaloo asked, genuinely curious.
"Yep. About a year or so later," Dash told her," But... she turned it down."
"What? Why? Your mom had a chance to join the Wonderbolts, THE Wonderbolts, but she turned it down? Why would she turn it down?" Scootaloo practically yelled.
"Well, in the year between my parents' audition and when my mom was offered the spot on the team, they had started dating, and eventually got married. My mom had to turn the spot down because, well, she got some life-changing news."
"Life-changing news? What was the news?"
"She was pregnant with me at the time," Rainbow dash said smiling.
"Oh. Didn't she ever try to get back in the Wonderbolts?" Scootaloo questioned.
"No. After I came along, she put that behind her. She and my dad wanted to settle down and raise a family. So my mom stopped pursuing a career with the Wonderbolts, and my dad gave up the illegal racing, something my mom was very thankful for. So, they got jobs working for the weather team, and eventually became the co-captains," Rainbow Dash said.
Scootaloo was a little surprised by how much Rainbow Dash was telling her about her parents. Rainbow Dash had never really been this open before. So why was she telling her this now?
"Your parents sound really cool Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said,"but what exactly happened to them?"
Rainbow Dash sighed. "I must have been about six or seven when it happened. It wasn't different than any other day, or at least it started like any other day." Scootaloo could definitely relate to that. "There was a problem at the weather factory. Accidentally created a huge storm, biggest one ever. A state of emergency was called, and they dispatched the entire weather team," Rainbow Dash gulped, now suddenly finding it hard to speak,"My mom and dad were at the scene trying to control the storm, but..." Rainbow Dash trailed off at the thought of the unpleasant memory.
"But what?" Scootaloo pressed on, although she had a feeling she could already guess where this was going. Rainbow Dash wiped some tears from her eyes.
"They didn't make it, squirt. M-My dad-" she gulped again "-was hit by a bolt of lightning, and he fell out of the sky. And th-the wind from the storm kicked up so much debris, that-that...and, my mom, she-" Rainbow Dash could hardy finish her sentence,"She was h-hit by flying debris. She died too," Rainbow Dash was now starting really starting to cry from the painful memories. It was a day she never wanted to think about again, but it was important that Scootaloo knew what happened.
"I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash. What happened to you after that?" Scootaloo asked, now starting to tear up again herself.
"Well, after that, Fluttershy's family took me in. They helped me through this, and I stayed with them until the day I moved to Ponyville," Rainbow Dash sighed sadly once again,"But after the incident, my little sister was put up for adoption."
Scootaloo just nodded sadly. Wait, hang on a sec, what? WHAT? Little sister? Rainbow Dash had a little sister? Why didn't she know that?
"Y-You have a s-sister?" Scootaloo asked, still shocked by the information.
"Yeah. She was only a year old when it happened. After Mom and Dad died, a couple in Ponyville adopted her," she told Scootaloo.
"In Ponyville? Do I know her? What's her name, What does she look like?" Scootaloo had a frenzy of questions for Rainbow Dash, but Dash needed to take a minute to carefully consider how to answer them.
"Yeah. Yeah, you do know her, Scoots. And I loved her very much. Still do," she said.
"Who is she? Do you remember anything about her?" Scootaloo asked, excited to think that her idol has a sibling, somepony she might even know.
"Oh, I remember everything about her. I remember the day we brought her home. I remember feeling excited about having a little sister who I could play with and take care of and we could be best friends. And I remember my parents talking about who she got her looks from. I kind of take after my dad; I have his rainbow mane, and a cooler coat color, as oppose to my mom's much warmer pink coat," Rainbow Dash said, reminiscing over her parents and little sister.
"What about your sister?"
"She took more after my mom. Warm coat, cool-colored monochromatic mane, which was always really short. More than anything, I remember she had Mom's eyes. She was a beautiful orange pegasus filly, with a short violet mane, and bright purple eyes," Dash said, smiling warmly at Scootaloo. Scootaloo's jaw dropped to the floor hearing that. Rainbow Dash just described...her! Did that mean...? Rainbow Dash chuckled, sensing Scootaloo's confusion.
"That's right, squirt. You and me. I'm not really your honorary big sister, I really am your big sister," Rainbow said lovingly. Scootaloo's mind was blown, her thoughts were going a mile a minute in all different directions. And suddenly, it made sense. Everything made sense. She didn't have much in common with her parents, because she was too much like Rainbow Dash and her birth parents. Her dad was an accountant, and her mom was a gardener. They preferred to live a more quiet, laid-back lifestyle, but that was never a life for Scootaloo. She looked nothing like her parents, heck, they weren't even the same types! It was all so clear to her now, she actually felt kind of dumb.
"So-So you mean...Tax Break and Flores-they weren't really my-"
"They were your adoptive parents, Scootaloo, but they loved you like you were their own. They took care of you all these years, and they're the only parents you've ever really known," Rainbow Dash reminded her. And she was right. Although Scootaloo had never really gotten a chance to know her real parents, it had been Tax Break and Flores who raised her. But she did want to know one thing.
"Why didn't they ever tell me I was adopted?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash racked her brain for a good answer.
"Well... I guess it was probably for the same reasons I never told you. Until now, there was never really any reason you had to know. And they probably just weren't sure how to tell you, or how you would take it," Rainbow Dash admitted, hoping that was a sufficient answer.
Scootaloo's brain was still processing all this information. She was adopted? Her birth parents had passed away too? Rainbow Dash, the one and only Rainbow Dash, was her SISTER? All this brought along a wide range of emotions to Scootaloo. She was still very sad her parents had died, but she was also a little upset that they had never told her the truth. She was also really sad, now learning that not only were her adoptive parents gone, but even her real parents died years ago, and she never got the chance to truly know them. She was even a little upset at Rainbow Dash for not telling her, but at the same time, so happy and so excited that they were sisters! She really didn't know what to feel then. But then, Scootaloo suddenly thought of something. Something that she had always wondered about when she lived with her adoptive parents.
"You know, now that I think about it Rainbow Dash, I never saw any pictures my parents had of me from when i was really little. I just assumed they didn't have the time to take any. I don't suppose you-"
"Have any pictures of all of us together?" Rainbow finished. "Sure, plenty. Wait here a sec." Rainbow Dash got up from where she had been sitting and flew upstairs. She came back down a minute later carrying a large box.
"I was hoping I'd get a chance to show you these," Rainbow Dash said, setting the box down on her cloud coffee table, and taking a seat next to Scootaloo. "Give you a chance to see all of us together before the accident." She opened up the box, revealing tons of old photos. Scootaloo picked one up from the top of the pile.
"That's Mom and Dad, right there," Rainbow Dash said. Scootaloo now finally saw her real parents for the first time. Her dad had a pale blueish-purplish coat, a short rainbow mane, and golden-yellow eyes. Her mom had a bright pink coat, a blue mane, styled much like Rainbow Dash's, and bright purple eyes, just like Scootaloo's. She turned the picture over, and on the back was written Rainbow Blaze + Firefly.
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo spent hours going through the old photos. Scootaloo found plenty of pictures of her parents, old pictures of Rainbow Dash as a filly, and even baby pictures of her. It was like the pictures were telling the story of her family before her parents died and she was separated from her sister. As the two went through the old pictures, Rainbow Dash told Scootaloo stories of their parents.
"Mom and Dad sound pretty awesome," Scootaloo said while looking at a picture of a filly Rainbow Dash holding a baby Scootaloo in her arms, appropriately labeled 'Dash and Scoots'.
"Well yeah! Where did you think we get it from?" Rainbow Dash joked. The two laughed at this, but Scootaloo's laughter was cut short with a yawn. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten.
"I guess I better start getting back to Sweet Apple Acres," Scootaloo said. And then, the reality of her situation hit her again. Time seemed to fly when she was with her sister, and it was like all her other problems didn't exist. But now she had to face the truth that these problems definitely DID exist. Sweet Apple Acres was temporary. She was an orphan now, and didn't really have a home. She started to feel sad again. Rainbow Dash could tell something was bothering her.
"Hey , what's wrong squirt?" Rainbow Dash asked her, pulling Scootaloo in closer to her where they were sitting on the couch.
"Well," Scootaloo said with a sad, tired voice,"I just started thinking again that I can't stay with the Apples forever. I really don't have anywhere to go now."
"I've been thinking about that," Rainbow Dash said,"and, well, how'd you like to come live with me?"
"What? Really?" Scootaloo asked, bursting with excitement and teary eyes.
"Yeah! I wouldn't want you living in some orphanage when you could be living with your big sister! Tell ya' what, kid, first thing tomorrow morning we'll go down to the city records offices, and I'll sign off to become your legal guardian. How does that sound?"
Scootaloo was too excited, and too tired, to say anything. She just nodded happily, and hugged her sister. Rainbow Dash smile and embraced Scootaloo.
"I love you, Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo said tiredly, yawning once more. "I sure am lucky to have a sister like you." And with that, Scootaloo was out cold. Rainbow Dash lovingly kissed Scootaloo's forehead.
"I'm the real lucky one," Rainbow Dash said softly, before falling asleep herself,"And I love you, too."
